A Possible Return To So Cal

The Loma Linda University Physician's Oath
Before God these things I do promise:
In the acceptance of my sacred calling,
I will dedicate my life to the furtherance of Jesus Christ's healing and teaching ministry.
I will give to my teachers the respect and gratitude which is their due. I will impart to those who follow me, the knowledge and experience that I have gained.
The wholeness of my patient will be my first consideration.
Acting as a good steward of the resources of society and of the talents granted me, I will endeavor to reflect God's mercy and compassion by caring for the lonely, the poor, the suffering, and those who are dying.
I will maintain the utmost respect for human life. I will not use my medical knowledge contrary to the laws of humanity. I will respect the rights and decision of my patients.
I will hold in confidence all secrets committed to my keeping in the practice of my calling.
I will lead my life and practice my art with purity, and honor; abstaining from immorality myself, I will not lead others into moral wrong doing.
May God's kingdom, His healing power and glory be experienced by those whom I serve, and may they be made known in my life, in proportion as I am faithful to this oath.

December 11th Casey will be interviewing with Loma Linda School of Medicine. Again, we give thanks to God for this opportunity, recognizing it as a privilege and not something we are entitled to. Please pray for Casey's spirit... for calmness, for encouragement, for peace. Please pray that the interviewer that Casey is matched with will have an open heart and mind, ready to hear and listen to Casey's eager heart.

Again, we thank you for joining us on this journey.

Sunny, lazy, playful Saturday morning

The crisp, sunshiny day beckoned our participation...

What a refreshing walk this morning, surrounded by yellow, red, amber, orange, and of course green.

May we never take the beautiful place we live in for granted. The fresh air, clean water, mountains, beautiful trees... all blessings to be shared.

We hope this Saturday finds you peaceful, rested, and embracing the excitement and beauty of fall.

First Interview!

Thank you Lord for this exciting news... today Casey was offered an interview at the University of Maryland School of Medicine! This will be his second interview with this school, as he had one with them last year. I could not be more proud of his patient endurance... he has waited long and hard for this opportunity! Please continue to pray not only for additional interviews, but also that the UofM interview will exceed our hopes for how well it will go. His interview will be early February, 2009. Thank you for joining us in this journey.

Trick or Treat

Halloween this year started out with a Young Life party for Casey on Thursday night. Hopefully soon his costume will become reality! He certainly looks the part, don't you think?

My friend Shauna had organized a Halloween carnival for the kiddos at work, complete with a cake walk, pin the spider on the web, and trick or treating. I decided to resort back to my youth, and dress up as a ballerina. Some things never change... I still love the color pink, and I still lack the gifts of rhythm & grace.

I left the hospital and headed home to remove the scores of bobby pins out of my make-shift bun, wash out the hair spray, and change into warmer clothes to prepare for an evening of sitting on metal bleachers at an outdoor stadium. I grabbed dinner on they way... Nasai Teriyaki, and headed to meet Casey at Redmond High School.

The Mustangs were victorious and beat their opponents, the Kangaroos. As always, it was fun to watch Casey interact with his kids... both his Junior High players that he coaches, and the older boys in his Young Life group. The Lord is certainly using his eager and willing heart for His glory.

Although I did not know of this until the following morning, our Halloween evening ended with the greatest blessing of all... My dear friend Amber gave birth to her baby girl, Avery. Congratulations, Amber and Chris, on your beautiful little one. Oh, how I cannot wait to meet her, hold her, and of course, babysit her! Seeing as I do not have a photo of the sweet babe yet, I have added a photo of the new momma, Amber. How cute is she?!?!

To all, I hope that your Halloween was enjoyable and safe. As I was flipping through radio stations yesterday in the car, I came across Christmas music... on October 31st! It was a reminder of the fast-paced society that we reside in, and a challenge to not succumb to this way of living. My prayer for Casey and myself is also my prayer for you... that we may recognize each day as a gift, a blessing, and not anything less. That we may enjoy and live out each day as such, and not simply exist as consumers of space and oxygen. I pray that in the present, we might not wish for the future or long after the past, but rather dwell in "the now." Now that we have reached November, I hope that you all will enjoy the last of this beautiful autumn season. Bake pumpkin bread, serve apple cider with dinner, enjoy outdoor walks with crunchy leaves beneath your feet, and approach the upcoming holiday with the attitude it is named after...thanks. And then, after all of this is thoroughly enjoyed, we will be able to accept and listen to Christmas music on the radio, but not a day before.